First bomb blast in NWA after Zarb-e-Azb kills one

MIRANSHAH: A tribesman was killed and four others were seriously injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by unknown people in front of a private school went off at Danday Darpakhel village in North Waziristan on Tuesday.

The blast was heard in the nearby villages and caused concern among the recently returned tribespeople after their three years of displacement.

Government officials said it was the first bomb explosion after the much-publicised Zarb-e-Azb military offensive launched against the militants on June 15, 2014 in North Waziristan.

According to sources, the bomb was planted outside a private school.

“The people were busy in reconstruction and repair works of their damaged houses in Danday Darpakhel when the blast took place. One tribesman died on the spot and four others suffered injuries,” a government official said.

Pleading anonymity, he said the injured were later shifted to the Agency Hospital Headquarters Hospital in Miranshah where the doctors were reportedly utilizing all the available ?resources to save their lives.

It was not clear who could have planted the bomb as the security forces have been claiming that they have cleared North Waziristan of all the terrorists.

It was only three days ago when the government started repatriation of the displaced people of Danday Darpakhel. And that too when the displaced people living in Bannu, Kohat, Peshawar, Haripur, Abbottabad, etc, started holding protest against the government to demand that they should be sent back to their homes and villages.

The tribespeople of North Waziristan suffered heavy losses during the past three years. According to the tribespeople, most of their houses were damaged due to the military operation and seasonal rains as the ?residents were away from their houses for three years.

Pakistani columnist Farman Nawaz, who previously ran an Urdu Weekly Jirga Bannu, is the editor of The Bannu Times. Nawaz also runs an online newspaper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa News and KAS Research Journal. Nawaz has written English articles for Global Times China , Daily Outlook Afghanistan and several leading English newspapers of Pakistan. He had also worked as a blogger for Express News TV Network website.